If any man doubts the genuineness of these books, let him fay, when they were forged. It was not while the apostles were living; for they would have detected and fuppreffed the fraud. It was not after their death; for then the cheat would not have fucceeded. The books pretend to have been fent abroad by the authors themselves. Paul's epiftles, for example, profefs to have been written by him, at fuch a time, and in fuch a place; to have been fent to such churches, by fuch meffengers; and to have been figned by his own hand. Now if these churches had never received fuch letters, or feen fuch meffengers, or if Chriftians in general had never heard of fuch writings, until fome years after they pretend to have been feat abroad and publicly read this would have been a fufficient reafon never to have admitted them.

Most of Paul's epiftles were written to noted churches in populous cities; and, confequently, if they were genuine, they muft have been known before his death. If they had not appeared until after his death, the churches to which they pretend to have been fent, would have declared, they never received them, and thus have expofed the deception.

In fhort, if we fuppofe the books of the New Teftament to be fpurious, we muft fuppofe, that the Chriftians, in the Apoftolic and fucceeding a ges, among whom were many learned, and doubt. lefs many honeft men, did all, in the feveral dif ferent countries of Christendom, without any conceivable motive, confederate in a fraud, and agree to impose on the world. A fuppofition this, which, if admitted, puts an end to all hiftorical credit.

Befides; as one well obferves, "It is eafy to dif cover the writings of the New Teftament, particu larly Paul's epiftles, to be original. His very foul fpeaks in all his writings. There is that undiffem

B

bled zeal for the glory of God and the falvation of mankind; that courage-that difregard to his own intereft, when it interfered with higher views-that boldness of expreffion-that life and spirit which are hard to be counterfeited. The fame force and energy, which animated all his actions, and empowered him to fpread the gofpel from east. to weft, ennobles all his compofitions; and it would be almost as impoffible for an impoftor to write as Paul did, as it would be to act as he did. It is very difficult to perfonate fuch a warm, affectionate and interefting writer. There is an exact refemblance in his fpeeches and in his epiftles. In both there is the fame greatness of spirit, the fame glowing language, the fame elevated thoughts, warm from the heart. In both, he fpeaks and writes with too animated a zeal, to be a cold deceiver; with too much fense, folidity and confiftence, to be an enthufiaft."

Of our preceding reafonings this is the refult;

THE RELIGION OF THE GOSPEL IS DIVINE.

This religion, if it be divine, must be supremely important. Do you believe, that God has fent into the world a Savior from heaven-has borne witnefs to him by miracles and wonders-has fubjected him to death for our redemption, and railed him from the dead by his mighty powerhas given fupport to the religion which this Savior taught, and by a wonderful providence-has conveyed it down to our day with full evidence of its heavenly original? Do you believe all this?Surely you must believe, that this is a religion in which mankind are infinitely concerned.-Come forward then; make an open profeffion of it, and tell the world, you are not afhamed of it.

-

Faithfully attend on the inftituted worship of God. This is a great fecurity against irreligion and infidelity. That Chriftians may hold faft the

profeffion of their faith, the Apoftle enjoins them to keep up their religious affemblies.

Be folicitous to obtain a fhare in the great bleffings, which this religion offers to you.-Seek pardon and glory, in the way which it prefcribes, by repentance of fin and faith in the redeemer. There is no other name by which you can be faved.

Endeavor to extend the knowledge, advance the honor and promote the fuccefs of the gofpel; put to filence the ignorance of foolish men; confirm them who waver; ftrengthen fuch as are weak; encourage the young and tender, and guard them against the inftructions which caufe to err. If you afk, How this fhall be done ?-take the Apostle's advice, "Only let your converfation be, as it be cometh the gofpel of Chrift.".

SERMON II,

EPHESIANS i. 1, 2, 3.

Paul, an Apofle of Jefus Chrift, by the will of God te the faints which are in Ephefus, and to the faithful in Chrift Fefus. Grace be to you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jefus Chrift. Bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who hath bleffed us with all fpiritual bleffings in heavenly places in Chrift.

EPHESUS, the city in which the church here addreffed was collected, was the metropolis of Leffer Afia; and lying on the fea coaft, it was a place of confiderable trade. The Greeks inhabiting this city were zealous idolaters. They are faid, in the 19th Chapter of the Acts, to be "worshippers of the great goddefs Diana, and of the image that fell down from Jupiter." In this city flood the temple of Diana, which, for its grandeur and magnificence, was confidered as one of the wonders of the world. The Ephefians were alfo celebrated for their skill in the arts of magic and divination, as we find in the Chapter before cited. And from this epiftle of Paul, we learn that they were also infamous for luxury, lasciviousness and all uncleannefs. In this city dwelt great numbers of Jews, who had a fynagogue here for divine worship, in

which Paul preached for feveral months. This is the first account, which we have, of the publication of the gospel in this city. After his departure, A pollos, who was an eloquent man and mighty in the fcriptures, came to Ephefus. He had been educat ed in the Jewish religion; but having lately been inftructed in the way of the Lord, he came and taught it diligently in the fynagogue. Paul, not long after this, returning to Ephefus, preached there above two years together; "So that not only the Ephefians, but all who dwelt in Afia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks; and God wrought fpecial miracles by the hands of Paul. And the name of the Lord Jefus was magnified; and many believed, and came and confeffed their evil deeds; and the word of the Lord mightily grew and prevailed."

Sometime after Paul's departure from Ephefus, we find that he was fént a prifoner to Rome. In his confinement he wrote feveral epifties to churches and christian friends; and, among others, this to the church of Ephefus; for he calls himself, Chap. iv. the prifoner of Jefus Chrift for the Gentiles.

He directs this letter to the faints which are at Ephefus, and to the faithful in Chrift Fefus, i. e. not only to thofe in Ephefus who had believed, but to those in other parts of Afia, who had heard the word of the gofpel from him, while he was preaching in that city. So he orders his epiftle to the Co loffians to be read alfo in the church of the Laodi

ceans.

The defign of this epiftle is more fully to inftruct them in the nature of that gofpel which they had received; to guard them against certain errors, to which they were expofed from the influence and example of unbelieving Jews and Gentiles; and to inculcate upon them the importance of a converfation becoming their faith and profeffion. It contains the substance of the gofpel: And one who